Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-81591.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Picture: New Walt Disney World Bus Paint Scheme Spotted in Use</b></a> <p>A Walt Disney World bus with the new paint scheme was spotted today headed to the Art of Animation Resort. What do you think?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img height="178" width="450" src="http://laughingplace.com/files/latest/20130222-3.jpg" /></span><br />{big}</p>
Originally Posted By dagobert I would say the new look is an improvement to the white old one, but it could have been nicer as well.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I agree. The old one looked very out of date, so it's great to have a change, but this one isn't too exciting either. It seems to match the DME buses better, and will hopefully have a more timeless feel than the oh-so-mid-90's look of the old buses.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I think it looks real nice, very professional. True it's not "wimsical" but it does have one feature that I think is great. You can't see it in that picture but the red on the bus is done with reflective paint adding largely to safety. Real good idea.
Originally Posted By TP2000 It's an improvement and looks pleasant enough for what it is; a mundane big city diesel bus pressed into tourist duty. What I don't understand is the need in Florida to brand everything "DISNEY". Why not call it Walt Disney World Transport, and have a snazzy WDW specific logo applied to this bus system? Why does everything in Florida have to be so blandly corporate and generic DISNEY? It's like the people running the Florida property all had a personality bypass and they can't escape the corporate hive.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>What I don't understand is the need in Florida to brand everything "DISNEY". Why not call it Walt Disney World Transport, and have a snazzy WDW specific logo applied to this bus system? Why does everything in Florida have to be so blandly corporate and generic DISNEY?<<< You know, at first I thought, well that was in case they needed to shuffle equipment between Disney sites and then I remembered that this is the only place on this continent that uses on property buses so they are uniquely WDW vehicles. Why they couldn't say that, is really a mystery, but I guess that since they are no place else, we would assume WDW. Probably just one more way that the "company" is slowly excluding the word "Walt" from any of its identity.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Hmmm.. I guess they are trying to emulate the Mears DCL painjob. But still.. bland. Makes those busses look even more boxy and square. These are no Tokyo Disney Cruiser busses for sure.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Why does everything in Florida have to be so blandly corporate and generic DISNEY?<< I think part of it is playing into the guest mentality. A lot of east coasters and midwesterners will describe their upcoming trip by saying "I'm going to Disney". It's just colloquially understood that they mean WDW. I tend to say "Disney World", which certainly gets the point across, but the handful of times I've said the full "Walt Disney World" name, people look at me like I'm speaking the same kind of jibberish that fills Disney's commercials. It seems a little casual, but I think I'm fine with it. And it's actually one of the few places where it makes sense to put "Disney" in front of the product, since there are often buses going to other destinations run by other operatiosn around WDW (Lynx, DME, private coaches, etc). It's adding it to things like FastPass, theme park shows, and each and every hotel (excuse me, I mean 'resort') name that really bugs me. And just for the record, the current/old paint scheme (white with purple, yellow, and red lettering) also uses the title "Disney Transport": <a href="http://www.wdwlive.com/picture/transportation/bus/walt-disney-world-711-12.html" target="_blank">http://www.wdwlive.com/picture...-12.html</a> I wonder if this change means that they might also revamp the road signage around property at some point in the not-so-distant future. The old/current buses matched the mid-90's post modern color scheme, but the new ones are quite a departure from it.
Originally Posted By TP2000 In the 1970's and 80's the bus system at WDW used the basic "Walt Disney World Transportation" moniker on the buses. And dig that groovy orange and brown livery! <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwJQSGRYBQA/TXqB8H61sHI/AAAAAAAAA0c/qP9AoSYFzbM/s1600/3-11-2011_015.JPG" target="_blank">http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwJQ..._015.JPG</a> The Tokyo bus system uses the moniker "Disney Resort Cruiser" to brand its bus service. And just to bring it up again how utterly superior Tokyo is to anything they could ever do in Orlando... here's a few more photos of the Tokyo buses; The front, with the gleaming chrome and boat-like prow atop the bus, with the Mickey character as the hood ornament atop the prow. <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/4480153113_20dc18ec58.jpg" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com...ec58.jpg</a> And inside, the upholstery is custom and the overhead Mickey-shaped hand straps are custom. Everything about the Tokyo bus system was Imagineered from scratch, to eliminate any semblance to a basic diesel city bus you might think of. <a href="http://www.fyabulous.com/japan/resortcruiser.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.fyabulous.com/japan...iser.jpg</a> The back of the bus has custom windows in Mickey's silhouette, and they are functional windows. <a href="http://texastaitai.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/6a00e54ee043778834013480c6137f970c-pi.jpg" target="_blank">http://texastaitai.com/wp-cont...c-pi.jpg</a> And from the inside, the back of the bus has a little statue of Mickey in his bus drivers uniform, which your human driver matches perfectly. This is the same Mickey statue found on the front prow of the bus, but inside the cabin in a little glass case above the back seats. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theverynk/5214732732/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/t...4732732/</a> That little statue would last about 20 minutes in Disney World, before some giant Midwest tourist tried to pry it off the seatback, or tried to sit on it, or tried to eat it. Ah, well. Let Orlando be Orlando. At least we still have Tokyo.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I know that everyone gets all breathless over the Tokyo buses. I do like the interior, but the outside looks like a VW Micro-Mini on steroids. I think they are ugly and way over frilled. I'll take 1 of the new paint scheme over 100 of those strait from a 1960 ones. JMHO!
Originally Posted By Mr X The picture in post 1 looks like an airport rent-a-car shuttle with a Disney ad on the side, honestly. What's to like?
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I've said it in other places, so I will repeat it here. I believe that the buses at WDW are somehow looked at like they are an attraction. I guess I can see why, due to the fact that the trams and the monorail trains and the vehicles inside the ropes are intended to be a moving attraction. The buses are not. They are strictly utility. There sole purpose is to haul the sweaty masses to and from parks and resorts. They are a huge expense and although considered necessary to maintain WDW, they are not what people come to see. They take you to the attractions, they are not the attractions. I think that the new stuff, although "serious" looking are sharp looking and much, much better then the old white ones that only had the word Disney on it in the line of a theme. Everything else was as municipal bus looking as any seen anywhere. We are trading off something extremely drab for something that, at least, has a register on you visual color cones.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <The buses are not. They are strictly utility. There sole purpose is to haul the sweaty masses to and from parks and resorts. They are a huge expense and although considered necessary to maintain WDW, they are not what people come to see> Eh. I can see what you're saying. On the other hand Disney themes everything from restrooms to pavement to restaurant condiments to hotel soaps- so the buses are another opportunity to brand and theme something.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost True, but those are all within the "ropes" of a particular park or resort. Everything else is access to them and aren't themed, just generalized. They project a regular municipal setting (with an occasional reminder that the name of the city is WDW) but just as Disney diversified as can be. The show, that's different, at least, in my mind.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost Right after I typed that, I remembered my very first impression of WDW. First, that it was a city. Second, that it was an advanced city. Third, that it was a very organized city. I was hooked before I got halfway down World Drive. Then after being impressed with the part of it that we relate to on a daily basis, they threw MK at me. And all of a sudden after getting out of my car until I got back to it, I was engulfed in the surreal worlds of Disney themes. Then back to a comfortable regular world all the way back to the edge of the property and then I was in the regular world. I don't think I ever thought that they planned it that way, but it worked out well for them and me.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip As long as the buses are prompt and the air conditioning works, I don't really care what they look like.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan It's all part of the show, even the busses. Adding a little whimsey wouldn't be a bad thing.
